You have heard time and time again that flip flops are bad for your feet and should not be worn. The thing is for most of us flip flops go with summer like peanut butter goes with jelly. I don’t know about you but I cannot swallow a peanut- butter-only-sandwich, and I am definitely not going to go through summer without flip flops. So how do we be comfortable and have our sandwich too?
The flop in flip flops lies in the thin and flimsy unsupportive type of sandal. It has been shown they can accentuate pronation, or the rolling in of your feet. This causes fatigue and stress in your feet and lower legs, overtime this can lead to painful overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis and posteriortibial tendonitis. Gripping the sandal with your toes during each step also changes how you walk, leading to bad biomechanical alignment and painful problems down the road.
Well then what flip flops is not the generic harmful kind? Believe it or not the national organization representing foot doctors – American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) – www.apma.org – has a list of flip flops and other sandals that have been given their seal of approval. These recommended flip flops support the foot properly and allow you to take each step as you should normally.
It should be remembered that even with these approved flip flops their use should be limited and not replace a good pair of supportive shoes. Another thing to remember is if you experience pain in your regular shoes wearing flip flops will most likely make the problem worse. This can put you off your feet quickly and ruin summer plans.
If you are experiencing any foot issues, please call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jay Larson at Sole Foot and Ankle Specialists. Our office would like to get you back on your feet for summer!